Home at Last
by Orin Drake
Summary: Takes place WELL after Heart and Soul. Axel, Demyx and Roxas find their... next life. Planned as a oneshot only. I need to remind myself of this.


"Home at Last" and the general wrongness that is "Home at Last" are completely copyright Orin Drake 2006. Square-Enix and Disney own Kingdom Hearts, the worlds, the characters, a good deal of my money and a large chunk of my soul.

Background: This story I said I wouldn't write. ...Oops. Technically this may contain spoilers for _Ties That Bind and Tear Apart_, which is a very... weird story that somehow manages to combine FF8, FF7, Devil May Cry and Kingdom Hearts. ...Yeah. My _point_: there are things in my mind that happen before this. ...And maybe, some day, if I ever finish certain things... I'll write about exactly what. As it stands now... this is a stand-alone bit. And I do love it that way.

Home at Last  
by Orin Drake

Stark silence slowly bled to white noise. Or, perhaps not quite--any sound would have been misinterpreted just then. It was more rhythmic than simple white noise, though not steady. Familiar and yet foreign... a sound that inspired a smell, and maybe some dull slivers of memories far more distant. The rise and swell, the gentle lapping of waves against a shore. A ways off... but close, too.

There was a coolness to the air... not at all unpleasant, but it was foreign. Coolness, softness... wrapped in something.

Consciousness was a slow thing. Realization flickered off and on before it fully arrived, bright like electric lights behind his eyelids.

Opening his eyes yielded an oddly comfortable confusion. It was dark... but not the sort of darkness he remembered. Turning his head slowly, he saw dull, silvery light filtering in from a large open window. As his gaze adjusted, he allowed himself to carefully sit up, his body feeling shaky all over.

A bed. He was in a real bed, with a real mattress beneath and real pillows and soft blankets that kept him warm despite the mild breeze from the window. The walls around him were stone, like a castle... but nowhere near as cold and empty as the castle he remembered. All was still, quiet...

--Wait. Not so. There were other sounds... Music. It was... strumming of some kind. Slow and flowing and powerful, but soft. Coming from somewhere close by, so it sounded... past the archway that seemed to lead into the room.

He swallowed, entirely unsure of what was going on. Curiosity to simply get up and find out what was going on was eating away at his learned instinct to stay in one place and wait for more clues. Something exceptionally strong seemed to be pulling at him, pressing him toward the sound and whatever--whoever--was making it.

A voice, then. Steady and quiet, and somewhat familiar. Not while it was singing, though. He was rather certain he'd never consciously heard that voice sing, barely close enough to hear the words. "You and I long to live like wind upon the water..."

He threw his legs over the side of the bed, feet touching chilled stone. Pulling the blankets off, he found himself in comfortable sleepwear, somehow familiar... but no matter. He lifted, allowing himself to follow the sounds, out of the room and down a long hall.

As he walked, another voice joined in with the first as the music got stronger. "If we close our eyes we'll maybe realize/ There's more to life than what we have known..."

Finally stepping into what looked like a large sitting room, the boy stopped short at the vision of two very familiar figures on a long sofa. Even though the singing had ended abruptly with his entrance, the music from apt fingers over sitar strings continued.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Axel--really and truly _Axel_, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt just as normal as if he'd always been that way--greeted with a lazy smile.

Mind still murky with sleep and surprise, Roxas wasn't quite sure how he remained standing in the doorway. The shock was... a little... overwhelming. --Overwhelming... he placed a trembling hand on his chest, upon his heart. He... felt... _felt_, strongly... in ways he never had before...

And Demyx--_Demyx_ in jeans that were torn like they've been half-eaten by Heartless while still on his body, and a worn shirt held together with messy threads and safety pins--sat next to the firestarter, grinning and still playing that familiar sitar. He said nothing, simply switching to another song from another time, lighter and more upbeat. Neither of them wore gloves... and there was no sign of the Organization anywhere in or upon them.

So many questions... not that any of them would actually form in the younger blond's mind. He was quite concentrating on trying not to let his jaw fall to the floor and look like a shocked moron... despite the fact that he really, really felt like one.

Axel chuckled quietly, eyes sparkling brightly with something softer than simple amusement. "Hey, c'mere! Sit down, enjoy the view." He gestured, indicating an enormous window with a beautiful view of the beach and the slivered moon.

Roxas found his legs unsteadily starting to comply without his brain's consent, bringing him slowly closer to what he could only believe was a very realistic dream. He saw the spectacularly _real_ gleam in the eyes of his former Organization associates... and it made his head spin. So many emotions running through him, memories, things stronger than he'd ever truly felt before... Too many questions, too much not understood--all he could do was stand before the couch and stare dumbly.

Axel grinned brightly, reaching out to pull the boy's shoulders down and spin him ever so slightly, finally forcing the younger blond to sit right between himself and Demyx. "Relax, Rox. You've been through... a bit."

He... he had? He didn't remember. Not really, anyway. There'd been... darkness and swirling... he'd been... he'd been in... --Panic swelled in his chest. "Sora--"

The fire mage was quite glad he hadn't let go of the boy's shoulders, trying his best to relax Roxas while holding him back from going wherever it was he seemed to think he was headed. "He's _fine_. Everything's fine. It's a really long story, and in case you haven't been _listening_ to me, _you need rest first_."

"Besides..." Demyx added, not looking up from the sudden soft and slow notes he plucked from his sitar, "We just got you back. No way we're letting you go again."

Roxas let that "we" go for the moment, opting instead to find out what the hell was going on in a broader sense. "B-but, how..?"

"Sssh." Axel began to rub his shoulders delicately. "I _promise_, I'll explain it to you. But you need a lot more rest, first. You've been through a hell of a lot."

There was some level of frustration at that response. The youth opened his mouth to argue--lips suddenly covered by something joyously familiar.

Soft... warm... gentle... perfect... Like it used to be, but... but so much... better. Good, and _sane_, and... Axel's lips over his own felt so... so perfect. So glorious and natural and... oh, how they both missed it. It _felt_, and it felt so...

_Real._ Roxas pulled back, solid memories of the seemingly distant past flooding back to him. He'd... he'd watched Axel _die_... and he was inside Sora when he'd _killed_ Demyx... and then he'd been in that place of death and darkness where even Sora was lost to him, casting his existence into horrible places beyond madness... "This..." his wide eyes darted between the other two, both somewhere between smiling with their whole hearts--impossibly _real_ hearts--and grinning like two graciously sated cats. "This is... real?"

"Yeah!" The musician's quick-spreading smile was utterly fantastical, his laughter honest. "Totally real. I can't believe it yet, either."

Too-bright blue eyes blinked several times. "Where are we? What's going on?"

Axel threw his hands up with a dramatic sigh. "Do you listen to a word I say?"

Demyx finally stopped strumming, smile unchecked and eyes plotting delicately. "No one does. And there's probably a good reason for it."

The redhead pretended to pout. "I knew I should have gotten my own place."

The musician laughed, leaning back against the couch and looking incredibly relaxed. "There's a whole island out there, Axel."

"But it's all lonely and dark out there." The other man grinned despite himself.

Roxas could do nothing more than stare at them. Since when had... and what... and how... and... and..? "What the fuck is going on?"

The surprisingly soft demand made the other two blink as if finally remembering the boy was there. Axel then looked surprisingly sheepish. "Ah, sorry. You remember the Organization, right?"

The youngest could hardly find it in himself to nod, feeling numb and somewhat... stupid. Those days he remembered well. A little more than he would have liked, anyway.

The redhead gave a nod back and continued. "Well, y'know, you and Sora merged and... all that... 'unpleasantness'... Anyway. A bunch of things happened, okay? Seriously, you're gonna want to wait on the details so don't bother interrupting. Point being, there's this force called the Lifestream and..." he trailed off, trying to find the words to explain. When a glance at Demyx only yielded a shrug, he sighed. "We're special 'cause we're different."

That sentiment wrung unexpected and genuine amusement from their newest arrival. He hadn't seen it coming, hadn't known it to be possible for his own laughter to bubble up with such a surprising speed as to never having the chance to suppress it.

Demyx couldn't help but laugh along, finding Roxas' uncontrolled laughter to be one of the more amazing miracles of his entire existence--and non-existence, for that matter. "I think he insulted us."

Axel was a little too rapt in the view of _Roxas_ nearly laughing himself off of the couch to respond immediately. It was a wonderful thing to witness, an amazing sound to behold... hard to believe. He sincerely hoped he never completely got used to it. "I believe you're right." He finally agreed.

The younger blond finally grasped enough control of himself to wheeze out a somewhat suitably demanding, "And..?"

Amused at the not-quite-recovery, the firestarter finally got to the point. "And... now we're Guardians. We just look after our little corner of the universe."

That... just didn't... what the.. "W-wha-- Wait, what?"

"It's because we were Nobodies." The musician chimed in, reaching for the sitar at his side but not grasping it. He merely ran his fingertips lightly over the strings once, letting the hum resonate for a moment before he continued. "Or, well... kinda, anyway. Something about making ourselves whole so we got a choice or... something."

When Roxas gazed expectedly at Axel for more of an explanation, the redhead could only shrug. "Neither of us remember all that much about the details after we... well. Faded."

Roxas swallowed, trying to absorb the information. Maybe there was a point to resting first... though bits of his curiosity refused to be satisfied. "And... the other Nobodies?"

"Most of the others are guardians, too." The firestarter informed him. "They're in... other places, though. Different universes."

That was only half the answer, and the younger blond knew perhaps he shouldn't ask... "And... the ones who aren't Guardians..?"

A look was shared between the other two before Axel turned back to him, eyes slightly dull with what might have been concern... or something strangely close to regret. Regardless of them not really getting along well... as Nobodies, they'd almost been a family. If even an extremely hateful and dysfunctional family. "We're not... particularly clear on that."

It was all just... so much... Roxas found his head spinning. The entirety of the reality he'd known had already been torn to shreds once. To have it ripped up again, then the pieces _set on fire_, was just... a little bit much.

Axel chuckled at the silent reaction. "There's plenty of time to take it in. This world is all ours!" he cried triumphantly, getting a chuckle out of the musician. "Well, the little island is. There are others living on this world, but... we got the coolest place all to ourselves."

"And there's this garden out back!" Demyx chimed in excitedly.

"It's awesome, Rox." The redhead agreed. "We even got ourselves a hedge maze!"

The musician scoffed. "Not that you can get through it without burning holes everywhere. It's a good thing they regenerate."

"Well _you_ were stuck out there for _hours_." Axel shot back. "At least I thought of a quick way out."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Don't you know if you keep making right turns, eventually you'll get to the end?"

His only response was an exceptionally long pause from the other two.

It was so... so weird to feel so free to laugh and smile. To be around the others without the weight of missions and orders from above and worrying about being lied to and kept from the truth at all costs. And to be around _them_, especially... "This is a good weird." Roxas wasn't quite aware that he'd spoken out loud.

Warmth. Serene smiles and glistening eyes... "C'mon, Roxas." Demyx invited softly, standing. "You've got to see the ocean."

The musician held a hand out for him... and for a moment, the youngest could only blink. It... wasn't a gesture he was used to. He understood it, but had never expected... Shaking his head lightly of the confusion, he took the reaching hand and felt two more gentle hands press against his back as Axel helped him stand.

The youth felt enormously grateful when he found himself caught between them at the windowsill. Staring out at the dark waves lapping at the sand below and the tiny sliver of moon illuminating each crest... The smell of salt air as the breeze blew through his hair reminded him of simpler times in simpler lives...

Standing there, the three of them, gazing out at the ocean... Roxas felt a bizarre trickle down his cheek. He reached up to touch it, pulling his fingers away and inspecting the odd moisture.

Axel became distracted from the view by the motions from the boy beside him. "Rox?"

The boy continued to stare at the droplet on his fingertips, puzzled. "It doesn't... make sense. I... I'm _happy_..."

Two knowing smiles shone brightly over the shorter boy. They both pulled closer, to him and to one another.

Axel leaned down, lips ghosting the shell of the younger blond's ear. "Doesn't have to make sense. Long as it feels right."

Demyx swallowed quietly, glancing down at Roxas. He had to ask... had to know for certain. "It... feels right... right?"

Bright sapphire darted up to the questing gaze of jade. He sniffed a quiet laugh, wiping what remained of the tears from his face. "Yeah. Yeah, it does."

Relief. Comfort. From all sides.

It felt, to Roxas, like something he needed to say. _Needed_ to express. "I'm... I'm s-sorry..." For leaving. For being so callous. For never realizing, never listening, never saying...

"No need, Rox." It was truly the most sincere thing that the redhead had ever uttered. When Demyx made a quiet sound of agreement... it was finished. Completed. Left to the past--not to be forgotten, but to be built upon.

Together, they gazed out over the ocean, and dreamed.

* * *

There's actually art to accompany this, though I don't imagine appreciates links. I'll try to tease it into working anyay (ha ha--worst case, if you want to see the artwork then drop me a private message/review and I'll send the link that way): reignofangels(dot)com(slash)otherart(slash)homeagain(dot)jpg I hadn't actually painted on a canvas for a really long time, so it felt nice to do again. The picture in my head was so clear... (And yes, that was actually painted with this story in mind. So it's been haunting me for a while.)

And now let me say what I need to say: I'm SORRY. I NEEDED to write this. It would NOT let itself go unwritten. Now I'm all... sappy and... sugary and... ew. Get it off, get it off! Geez. ...Okay, it's not that bad. It's sappy as hell, though. I can't help but want to see them happy. sigh Oh, what happened to all of my meaningless violence...

A funny thing happened on the way back from the grocery store one summer night... see, here there's a radio station that plays only hair metal on Friday nights. And, having a wide (and not necessarily "classy") range of musical tastes, I love that stuff. But then... Queensryche came on. The song, "Anybody Listening". It was... pretty much all over from there, as my sadly _KH2_-addled brain clicked into play and latched onto it as an Axel/Demyx/Roxas theme song. Yes, not only do I listen to Queensryche, but I fell in love with one of the cheesiest freaking songs everywhere. I'm okay with that, thank you. grin

...I have an idea of what happened to Roxas... and Sora... and everyone, really. Not sure if I'll ever manage to write the whole thing out, but I do keep leaving clues...

So, I guess it's time to admit: this story ties into an enormous, greatly disturbing epic I have apparently been working on for years. It's probably a glorified Mary Sue, but I don't care because I love it. And I... really need to finish it one of these days.

If you'd like to be e-mailed when I update, drop me a line with whatever story/stories/website you'd like me to inform you of.


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